Lever lock



Patented Jan. .23, 1923.

-' STATES PATEN- .Fit'llhi,

DUNBAR M. HINRIC HS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, AND APPLETON T. MILES, 0F

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

LEVER LOCK.

Application filed November 17, 1921. Serial No. 515,819.

T 0 at! 10 7mm it may con cern Be it known that we, DUNBAR M. HIN- RIoHs and APrLn'roN T. Minus, both citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of v New York, and Hartford, in the Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Lever Lock, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. 1

Our present inventionhas reference to a lock for levers, and is primarily intended for use in connection with the gear shift levers of a motor driven vehicle although it is not necessarily limited to this adaptation.

It is well understood that any number of devices have been placed upon the market with a view of locking the lever against movement, but these devices have for the most part proven impractical, in that the same were capable ofbeing readily forced by a thief, or otherwise they were so complicated as to involve considerable expense in their manufacture and installation.

Numerous other difficulties have arisen in connection with devices of this nature, and with this in mind our present invention aims to provide a look as aforestated, associated with a gear shift lever, and by means of which the lever will. be locked in such a mannor as to practically preclude any danger of an unauthorized person effecting a sub sequent movement of the same,

A further object of this invention is the construction of a locking device which is ideally adapted for use with the structure presented in our co -pending application it being understood however that the same may readily be used quite independent thereof.

Still another object of this invention is the construction of a device of the character stated which may be constructed at a relatively nominal figure and Which shall be extremely simple in the arrangement and disposition of its parts. i

Further objects of this invention will become apparent in the annexed specification taken in connection with the drawings,

county of disposed upon the which latter illustrate one practical embodiment thereof and in which;

Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of a lever of the type specified, and with which a lock of our improved construction'is associated.

Figure 2 is a partly sectional plan view of certain details of construction, and

Figure 3 is a transverse, sectional view taken along the line 33 and inthe directionof the arrows illustrated in Figure 2.

Thus, as has been shown in Figure 1, the reference numeral 5 indicates a lever of any desired type, which extends into a casing 6 gear box 7, this lever, in the conventional manner being capable of being connected with gear forks 8, whereby the gears may be caused to suitably mesh with each other.

Contrary to the conventional construction it will be seen, however, that a lock 9 of any desired type is associated with the casing (3, and the actuating portion of this lock permits of a shaft 10 disposed within the casing being turned. A suitable shelf 11. extends into the interior of the casing 6, and acts as a supporting surface for a pair of pivotally mounted oppositely disposed hook shaped members 12. a y N ow with a view of operatively connecting the shaft 10 with the members 12, and also interconnecting theselatter members, it will be seen that the butt portions of the said members are formed with interengae ing teeth 13, and a gear wheel 14 also engages one of these teeth portions, this gear wheel being secured to the shaft 10 so that upon the latter being turned both of the members 12 will be moved in unison,

Thus it will be understood, assuming that an operator desires to loclr the vehicle against movement that the lever may be swung to the position indicated in Figure 1, it being noted that the members 12 during this operation lie in the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2. Subsequently, an operator might actuate the lock 9 to operate the shaft 10, and the members 12 will then move to the position shown in full lines in Figures 1 and 2, and in this position it will be appreciated. that these two members have their outer ends overlapping so as to enclose the shank of the lever 5, thus preventing any movement of the said lever until the lock 9 is again actuated.

It will thus be understood that the vehicle is locked against movement in that the lever is left in a position at which the train of drivinggears mesh with each other. and assuming that this look is utilized in connection with the type of lock described in our co-pending application i. e. a gear wheel lock, it will be appreciated that the vehicle,

although capable of being moved rearwardly by towing, or under its own power will be incapable of being moved forwardly.

Thus all of the objects set forth in the preamble of this specification have been accomplished, and it will be understood that numerous modifications of structure might readily be resorted to without in the least departing from the scope of our claims; which are- 1. A lever lockincluding a casing, a shelf within said casing, hook shaped members swingin-gly supported upon said shelf, a lock arranged adjacent the outer face of said casing, a shaft having one of its ends connected to said lock and extending within said casing, the opposite end of said shaft being connected to said members, whereby to permit of said members being positively moved upon said lock being operated.

2. A lever lock including a casing, a movable lever extending into said casing, a pair of hook shaped members supported within said casing, teeth formed in the edges of said members, said teeth interengaging with each other, and means connected to one of said members for moving the same whereby upon saidrmeans being operated both of said members.

DUNBAR M. 'HINRIGHS. APPLETON T. MILES. 

